Ings sparks Saints but it isn’t enough
the water bottle that took a mid-match kicking on the touchline will disagree but mark hughes said he was satisfied by Southampton’s season-opening stalemate.
It was by no means memorable but there was progress: this was the sort of game the Saints would have lost amid their struggles last year.
and they could even have snatched it after being energised by the second- half introduction of deadline day loan signing danny Ings.
‘they’ve had more game time, more competitive minutes,’ said hughes. ‘ So for our first game against opposition who are arguably ahead of us, it was a decent performance.’
Sean dyche’s Burnley are no fools, after all. and thanks to their european travels, their season is in full flow.
the Clarets will take this draw ahead of thursday’s second leg of the europa League qualifier against Istanbul Basaksehir.
If any of the visiting players were still jet-lagged from their goalless draw in turkey on thursday then they did not show it. dyche’s side applied such pressure from the start that if they forced Southampton’s players any further back, they would have been in the car park.
‘one of my managers, John duncan, used to say, “It’s a winning draw”,’ dyche said. ‘there were a lot of pleasing things.’
after seven minutes, Southampton had not managed a touch in the opposition half and Burnley had the ball in the net. Jack Cork found space on the left and finished to the right of alex mcCarthy, but was denied a goal against his former club by the linesman’s flag.
Burnley continued to turn the screw. a long ball fell kindly for aaron Lennon, who only had mcCarthy to beat, but his thumping shot was straight at the keeper.
It was more of the same after the break before hughes decided to make changes in the 56th minute.
on came Ings, the local lad who signed on a season-long loan from Liverpool, and £ 16m recruit mohamed elyounoussi from Basle. It sparked something.
moments later, Burnley almost shot themselves in the foot when Ben mee accidentally headed towards his own goal from a corner, forcing ashley Westwood to clear off the line.
Ings then crossed for Jack Stephens, who tried to beat Joe hart at his near post, but he palmed it to safety.
From the subsequent corner, hart saved a header from mario Lemina, and Southampton settled for their point.